depend

American  

[dih-pend] / dɪˈpɛnd /

verb (used without object)

1. to rely; place trust (usually followed by on orupon ).

   You may depend on the accuracy of the report.

2. to rely for support, maintenance, help, etc. (usually followed by on orupon ).

   Children depend on their parents.

3. to be conditioned or contingent (usually followed by on orupon ).

   His success here depends upon effort and ability.

4. to be undetermined or pending.

   I may go to Europe or I may not, it all depends.

5. Grammar. (of a word or other linguistic form) to be subordinate to another linguistic form in the same construction; to form a part of a construction other than the head.

6. to hang down; be suspended (usually followed byfrom ).

   The chandelier depends from the ceiling of the ballroom.

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depend British  

/ dɪˈpɛnd /

verb

1. to put trust (in); rely (on); be sure (of)

2. to be influenced or determined (by); be resultant (from)

   whether you come or not depends on what father says

   it all depends on you

3. to rely (on) for income, support, etc

4. rare (foll by from) to hang down; be suspended

5. to be undecided or pending

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Other Word Forms

• interdepend verb (used without object)
• redepend verb (used without object)
• self-depending adjective

Etymology

Origin of depend

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English dependen, from Old French dependre, from Latin dēpendere “to hang down,” from dē- de- + pendere “to hang”

Explanation

To depend is to have confidence in something or someone. You can depend on your most loyal friend to show up for your modern dance performance in the park (although you probably can't depend on her liking it). Depend can also mean "determined by or contingent on something else." For example, if rain is in the forecast, your outdoor dance performance may be cancelled; it depends on the weather. Depend is almost always followed by the word on or upon, with upon being more formal. If you're speaking informally, you may drop the on or upon, as in "It all depends how you feel." Your decision to do that will, of course, depend upon your audience.

Example Sentences

Water supply predictions, reservoir management, and long-term planning all depend on understanding how much water will actually reach the river.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

A strike, she said, “can be very chaotic and very overwhelming,” especially for special-needs kids who depend upon consistency and routine.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

The dollar’s long-term fate will ultimately depend on whether Washington sustains this strategy and on whether the global energy transition eventually makes the contest moot.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

“We think that there’s more room to run to the upside from here,” he said — but cautioned that anticipated gains in 2026 will depend in part on oil prices.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026

She had come to depend on the cooing sounds, the lip-smacking, the sudden shrieking panics.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• hinge on
• rest on
• revolve around